If there is one thing you need to make this holiday season, it’s this healthy and delicious tart filled with a creamy and light dairy free ricotta filling and topped with thin slices of acorn squash. This tart is the perfect holiday side dish and will be loved by everyone. Acorn squash is in season and available all winter long where I am and you can get this ready in a little over an hour. It’s also dairy free, gluten free, and sugar free!
To make this recipe:
- Cut and prep your acorn squash. Rinse it well and cut it in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds, and cut 1-2 inch slices
- Roast your acorn squash in the oven
- Prepare the tart base
- Cook the crust
- Prep your ricotta and the filling (put all the ricotta ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor and blend it for 2-3 minutes or until it is really smooth)
- Assemble everything
For this recipe, I used:
- Homemade Cashew Ricotta: you will need to soak your cashews in water for at least 4 hours. This makes the nut softer and also easier to digest
- Acorn Squash: a sweet tasting winter squash that adds great flavor to the dish
Tips:
- Use a sharp knife to cut the acorn squash
- When placing acorn squash on the top of the tart, start at the crust edge of the tart, placing your pieces of squash all around the perimeter of the tart, slightly overlapping them making your way around the tart and to the center. For the center pieces, you will need to cut your squash pieces into smaller pieces in order to fit. Place the entire tart back in the oven and cook
- Top the tart with fresh or dried thyme
Substitution Ideas:
- Cashew Ricotta: you can use the Kite Hill vegan almond ricotta or regular dairy ricotta
Storage:
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight sealed container for up to 3 days! Heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds before enjoying.
Acorn Squash Tart with Cashew Ricotta
Cooking & Baking Supplies
- Parchment Paper
- Quiche Dish Baking Pan
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
Quiche Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (use 1 tsp for dry thyme)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/8 tsp salt
Cashew Ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp saltÂ
Filling
- 1 1/2 cup cashew ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the cashew ricotta by adding all of the ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Mix until ricotta is smooth, approximately 1 minute.
- Cut off the bottom and top of the acorn squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on the tray and cook for 30-35 minutes, until it is soft testing it with a fork. When you remove it from the oven, set it aside to cool. Remove the squash from the oven, set it aside to cool, and lower oven heat to 350 degrees.
- While the squash cooks, mix together all the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl well, until a dough forms. Roll the crust into a ball and place it in the middle of a pie dish. Use your hands to flatten the dough across the base of the pan and up 1-2 inches on the side. Make sure the crust is even. Cook the crust for 13 minutes.
- In a large bowl, put the cashew ricotta in a bowl (should be about 1 ½ cups) and mix it with the rest of the filling ingredients. Place the filling evenly across the crust.
- Cut the cooled squash widthwise in thin pieces (about ½-1 inch pieces). Arrange the squash starting at the base of the pan by the crust, on an angle (the first layer should lightly touch the crust) making your way around the dish until you reach the center, forming a rose-like shape with the squash. For the center, cut some acorn pieces so they fit. Top with extra fresh or dried thyme!
- Put the tart back in the oven and cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove tart from the oven and ENJOY!
Did you make this recipe?Tag @girlswhoeat!
